Cyclists Chiara Ricciardo and Riccardo Rocchi raise diabetes awareness

Peli BioThermal, a global name in cold chain packaging, is celebrating the return of two intrepid riders who cycled for 12 months in a global cycling challenge to help raise awareness about diabetes.

As an official partner of the remarkable two-wheeled project, called For A Piece of Cake, Peli BioThermal donated its Crēdo ProMed, a robust, temperature controlled portable medical transport bag specifically designed to ensure protected pharmaceutical products remain intact.

The Crēdo ProMed bag provided pharmaceutical protection en route, enabling diabetic cyclist Chiara Ricciardi to complete the trip, safely storing her insulin aboard her bicycle.

Ricciardi, who has type 1 diabetes, embarked on the epic journey, cycling 18000 km from Cesena, Italy to Singapore, with fellow rider Riccardo Rocchi, in a bid to shine a spotlight on the medical condition affecting over 400 million people worldwide and to promote exercise as a method of reducing the daily insulin requirement for people like herself.

During the trip Ricciardi significantly reduced the amount of insulin she needed to regularly inject.

The protection of insulin for one year, on a bicycle in very hot climates, was a challenge that we had never faced before. Insulin is vital for Chiara, so this was not a small concern.”

Peli BioThermal’s Crēdo ProMed was a permanent fixture on Ricciardi’s bicycle throughout the 12 month journey ensuring her medication remained intact without the need for external cooling for days at a time as they cycled across continents through some of the world’s toughest terrains and temperature extremes.

Ricciardi said: “The Crēdo ProMed was crucial to our trip and it performed perfectly. When the temperatures increased in the hottest climates we also put in the box for protection, the sensors and strips used for measuring my blood sugar.

"For 385 days it carried my insulin ensuring the correct temperature for it, no matter the external condition. The regular cycling drastically reduced the amount of insulin injected daily. I passed from 45/50 units per day to 20/30 units. This is an unquestionable success. We showed people with diabetes and their families that the disease should not stop anyone from following their dreams.”

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